First off, I'd like to point out that this is all in a metaphorical sense. As most of this can't be done without the source code {Which the mods and admins do not have} it's very unlikely that any of this will come to pass. HOWEVER, this post will be in the sense of mind that the source code has been reclaimed and is again workable. Thank you.
I've been noticing a lot of people in these threads suggesting hunting and survival-based gameplay in FH.
I, for one, am very displeased with the idea. Not only would it be strange to see npcs running around, but it could get very hectic with them. For one thing, I believe FH is a place for hanging out and roleplaying. I prefer the minimal things to do in this game. It pushes you to meet new people and roleplay with them. Feral Heart has a very strong community, and I believe the lack of "gameplay" binds it together.
Of course, if we compare this game to the others in the series, we can see that this isn't entirely the case. Others do indeed have communities. Tightly knit, but not as much. On the subject of comparing FH to the other games in the series, we can deduce that FH has a very unique feel to it. The lack of "gameplay" really makes it stand out from all of the others in good way and bad ways.
That said, there's still pros to the idea of hunting and survival. Exciting new experiences, in depth hunting roleplays.
My proposal is that there be two servers. One without the hunting and survival mechanics, and one with. It would be difficult to program, yes, but it may benefit in the long run. Two servers would allow the ones who prefer gameplay to non would head on to one server, while the ones that enjoy the laid back part of FH would be able to stay on the other. On top of this, I believe the people in your friends list would still be able to talk to you across servers. The "find" button would also include which server they are located in.
If this would be to much for servers, there's always the option that there are two different sections of maps on the server. Both groups would be unable to intersect. For instance, there could be a button that allows the player to hop from one map group to another. One map group would be set in FH as it is now, while the other would be filled with animals. In the second map group your character may gain the "survival" bars. Basically, FH would become a fully-fledged "game" on these parts.
Of course, as with everything, there are flaws in my idea.
For one thing, the community that I was talking about earlier could split in separate directions. There's no way to tell if this may happen, but there's always the risk. One server may get more crowded over the other, depending on what the majority of FH prefers. It would be harder to meet up with friends, and advertising for roleplays may get hectic/go unnoticed. There's also the predicament with the coding. This could be rather difficult to code in the long run. Finally, FH could lose its unique perspective on its features.
All in all, it's a possible solution to pleasing both sides of FH's players, though there are many flaws that may come with it.
Thank you for taking it into consideration,
-Dura